The Dragon of New Orleans

by Genevieve Jack

  He craned his long neck and lowered his head, placing his chin on the floor in front of her.

  “I think I’ll leave you two alone,” Richard said.

  Duncan gave her a little bow before slipping out after him.

  Trembling, Raven faced the beast that was holding intensely still before her. She took one step, then another. “Gabriel?” The creature’s black eyes trained on her, red and brown flecks glistening in the light.

  She reached out and stroked his nose and then his neck, giving him a scratch behind the ear. He wrapped a wing behind her back and nuzzled her. When he raised his head again, bright green caught her eye. His heart glowed through his chest, the same color as his emerald ring.

  “Does this help you?” she asked.

  He snorted and nudged her shoulder.

  “This is where you go in the afternoons, isn’t it?”

  The massive head bobbed.

  She placed her hands on either side of his snout and kissed his scales. “Rest. Get better.”

  He nudged her again. What did he want?

  She smiled and looked into those giant black eyes. “I am yours, Gabriel, still. And you are mine. Rest. I will be in the library when you wake.”

  He pulled his reptilian lips back and then lifted his head. Like a marine mammal entering water, he slipped into the mountain of treasure and disappeared.

  The dragon opened its eyes, safe in its mass of treasure. The vibrations from metal and stone that surrounded him were both soothing and healing to the beast, but it was time for him to leave his sanctuary. His mate was unguarded, somewhere out there in the world, and the desire to protect her was far stronger than his desire to remain safe. It was stronger than any yearning or fear, including the fear of death.

  Gabriel burst from his hoard, naked and in the shape of a man again. He raised his hand. His ring was still dark at the center, but the sliver of green around the edge was larger than before. Not much time left. Two weeks until Mardi Gras. Two weeks to save Raven. He no longer had the luxury of believing he could save himself too.

  He crossed to the bag Richard had left him and dressed in a freshly laundered suit. His phone was in the bottom, charged and tucked inside his shoe. Cradling it in his palm, he sighed. He’d promised himself he would never do this, but he had no choice.

  With a few taps, he dialed a number he hadn’t used in a decade. It rang three times before a click signaled the call had been answered. “To what do I owe the pleasure, brother?”

  Thirty minutes later, Gabriel sauntered into the library to find Raven asleep at the desk, next to a stack of grimoires almost as tall as she was. She’d changed her dress and was wearing sweats and a Hamilton T-shirt that was too big on her. Tiny, she looked tiny against the massive stretch of mahogany beneath her, utterly fragile. It was dark outside again. Late. He must have slept all day.

  “She’s been here since early morning,” Richard said from behind him.

  Gabriel brought his finger to his lips and gestured for Richard to join him in the hall.

  “Let her sleep for a few more minutes,” he said.

  “She said she, uh, drained you.” Richard tugged at one of his ears.

  “She’s mine,” Gabriel said, and even he could hear the smile in his voice.

  “Is that some kind of kinky dragon thing?”

  Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “It means we are mated. Together. Bound physically and spiritually. She gave herself to me.”

  “Oh.” Richard scratched his jaw. “Because it almost seemed like she came close to killing you.”

  Gabriel pointed a knuckle at him. “She absorbs magic. I should have anticipated that. It wasn’t her fault.”

  “Still, maybe you two should, you know, take precautions in the future. Like, um, avoid having her absorb your energy until we fix this thing with your ring.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “It’s just, you know, the look in your eyes is something I haven’t seen before. I know you want to be with her again, but that would be dangerous. You were out of commission for two days.”

  “Two—” Gabriel looked at his phone again. Richard was right. He thought he’d slept twelve hours. It had been thirty-six. “Fuck.”

  “Exactly what I think you should avoid for now.”

  He sighed. “I’ll find a way to fix this.”

  “There’s something else.”

  “Why do I have a feeling I’m not going to like it?”

  Richard pulled out his phone and tapped the screen. A YouTube video played. Raven, dressed in the blue dress he’d bought her, flew across the highway and slammed into the curb. She slapped the cement like a rag doll, and for a moment Gabriel couldn’t breathe. That fall would have snapped the bones of any human. But then he remembered she was uninjured in the next room. Sure enough, she sat up in the street, her blue dress shredded but not a single drop of blood or an abrasion on her.

  “Thank the Mountain my power protected her.”

  Richard rubbed his forehead. “You might want to ask the Mountain for a few more favors Gabriel, because the internet is lighting up over this. It’s already been shared 1.5 million times. Everyone is out looking for the real Wonder Woman.”

  “Has anyone recognized her?”

  “Not yet. Luckily the angle was bad and the recording is shaky.”

  “Let’s hope that luck holds out. None of us needs the type of scrutiny this would bring upon her.”

  “That’s what you’re concerned about? Not that Raven is newly immortal and you’re running on fumes?”

  Gabriel swatted the idea away. “I’m relieved she was able to protect herself.”

  “Okay,” Richard drawled. “That’s all I have for you. The mail’s on your desk, and Agnes is closing up shop. Good luck with the—” He made his hands dance around each other. “Oh hell, just good luck. Remember, you are playing with all our lives.”

  He turned on his heel and jogged down the stairs toward the back entrance.

  “He’s right, you know.”

  Gabriel whirled to find Raven standing beside him.

  “We can never do that again. I almost killed you.”

  Forcing a confident smile, he said. “Never say never. I’m not ready for that to be our last night together.”

  She smoothed her black curls behind her ears. “I’m not ready to watch you die again.”

  “I wasn’t dead.” He moved closer to her.

  “I could barely feel your heartbeat.”

  “I have an idea, Raven.”

  “I’d love to hear it. I’ve been combing through that library for two days straight and have yet to come up with a single lead.”

  “That’s because there isn’t a single book in that room that contains any information on how my ring was made. There’s only one place where that magic exists.”

  “Paragon,” Raven said.

  “Paragon. Unless Brynhoff has moved it, there is a copy of my mother’s book of magic in the palace library. If I take you to Paragon and get you to her book, you can absorb her magic. You won’t have to break the curse. You can make me an entirely new ring.”

  “I thought you said you couldn’t go back there. You said there’s a price on your head.”

  “Yes, but Paragon has a masked festival this time of year. It’s similar to Mardi Gras actually, but exists to celebrate the Goddess of the Mountain. In a few days, everyone will be wearing masks. We can slip in and get you to the book.”

  She contemplated the idea. “But if you need a ring to stay here, won’t I need one to go there? Won’t the atmosphere kill me?”

  “I was worried about that at first. I would never have thought to do this if it wasn’t for last night. I mean, two nights ago. You absorbed dragon magic from me and it made you stronger. Paragon is made of dragon magic. I do not think you are in any danger, although if you start experiencing any symptoms, we will leave immediately.”

  “You want me to go to Paragon.” She placed a fist on her h
ip. “Where we will be in danger of being murdered if anyone figures out who you are.”

  “Yes.”

  She shook her head and laughed, her eyes twinkling. “When do we leave?”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Raven had never been so relieved. Gabriel was back to normal, as normal as a man who turned into a dragon could be. Considering she’d been afraid she’d killed him—death by sex—it was a weight off her shoulders to have him back to his old self. Only, the clock was still ticking. Crimson’s curse was still eating its way through Gabriel’s magic, and Mardi Gras was now less than two weeks away.

  She prayed that Paragon would provide the answers they needed.

  She stumbled through the door to her apartment above the Three Sisters and came up short. Both her mother and Avery were waiting at the kitchen table. The looks they gave her were so sharp they hurt.

  “It’s late,” her mother pointed out.

  “Again,” Avery said.

  “On a Sunday night.” Her mother sipped from the glass of sweet tea in front of her and looked at Raven out of the corner of her eye.

  Raven scowled. “You don’t have to wait up for me.” The shifting and head rubbing that ensued told her that was nowhere near what was going on. “Has something happened?”

  “We know you’re sleeping with your boss, and we are very concerned,” Avery said. “We’re here to talk some sense into you.”

  “First of all, none of your business.” The red tide of anger swirling in Raven made her ears hot. “Second, yes, Gabriel and I are a couple. I’m an adult; he’s an adult. Why in the world would you have a problem with him? A couple of weeks ago you were telling me he was New Orleans’s most eligible bachelor.”

  Avery reached over the table and grabbed something off the chair next to her. She held up the torn blue dress. “What kind of sick shit is he into? Did he hurt you?”

  Raven laughed. “Oh my god, seriously? No. Gabriel did not do that. He would never hurt me.”

  “Then what happened to it?” her mother asked, still unconvinced.

  Raven crossed into the kitchen and started pouring herself a glass of water while she thought of a suitable lie. “It was run over by a car. I dropped it in the street while it was still in the bag. He bought the dress for me. I felt bad about it.” She raised her shoulders to her ears and sighed. “Gabriel and I are getting serious. In fact, I might be staying overnight there on a more regular basis.”

  The two looked at each other, her mother wringing her hands atop the table.

  “Oh, come on! I am twenty-three years old. I’ve been sick the majority of my adult life. And now I have someone I love, who loves me in return, and you guys are going to give me a hard time about it?”

  “You’re in love? Really?” Avery’s voice was soft now, warm. Her eyes twinkled.

  Although the words had tumbled from her lips before she realized what she was saying, Raven’s mind turned them over and over. In some ways, it seemed like the bond between her and Gabriel was stronger than love. But it was important to say these things. It was important to know these things. And she was in love. Truly.

  “Well, Raven? Are you in love, really in love? Not just saying that?”

  “Yes. I’m in love,” she replied, absolutely sure. “And honestly I feel like this is the one. My last and final love. The man I’ll spend the rest of my life with.”

  That made her mother smile and Avery right along with her. Her mother rose from the table and pulled her into a hug. “Then I guess our work here is done.”

  She had to force herself to sleep. Raven had the strongest desire to go back to Blakemore’s and climb into bed beside Gabriel. Unfortunately, that was a bad idea for a number of reasons. First, she wasn’t sure how her power worked. Could she drain him in his sleep simply by touching him? Second, she needed her rest. She couldn’t learn to control her power if she was falling asleep at her desk. She needed to be sharp.

  In the morning though, she dressed in record time and treated herself to the breakfast her mother had whipped up before she left for work: scrambled eggs with spinach, onion and mushroom, bacon, and fresh fruit. Raven couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this hungry, but then she hadn’t eaten much since she drained Gabriel. She’d been too concerned for his welfare to eat. She made up for it now, stuffing herself.

  “My god, where are you putting it all?” Avery asked, when she saw what little was left in the pan. Raven had eaten enough for three people. “Are you storing it in baggies for later?”

  “I was hungry,” Raven said, then added the excuse her father used to use when they gorged themselves at the table as kids. “Growing girl.”

  “That’s the truth,” Avery said. “I’ve never seen anyone’s hair grow so fast. It’s down to your shoulders already.”

  Raven crossed the kitchen to check out her reflection in the hall mirror. Using her fingers, she combed her hair into a ponytail and fastened it with an elastic. Silky and strong. She knew the new growth wasn’t natural, but the last thing she wanted to do was cut it.

  “I think it’s just the curl straightening,” she said. “It was tighter before, but the weight of the length is making it appear longer than it is.”

  “What?” Avery asked.

  Raven chuckled. “Hair can only grow so fast, Avery. What other explanation could there be?” Digging in her closet, Raven found a backpack and put in a few outfits. She wasn’t sure when they were going to Paragon, but she decided it was better to be ready than to end up somewhere without underwear again.

  The ding of her phone told her Duncan was waiting downstairs. “My ride’s here. See you later.” She kissed her sister on the cheek and headed for the door.

  “Wait, Raven!” She turned around to find Avery holding a fancy envelope. “This came for you yesterday. I forgot to give it to you last night.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You know what that is, don’t you?”

  She shrugged. “Wedding invitation?”

  Avery laughed and shook her head. “Look at the seal.”

  Raven turned it over. “Krewe Prometheus.”

  Prometheus was one of the newer krewes, the New Orleans term for an organization that sponsored a parade or ball during the carnival season, newer than Bacchus, Rex, or even Orpheus. She didn’t know much about them. She smiled. There was only one person who could be responsible for this invitation: Gabriel. He was the only one she knew who was rich and important enough to be invited to something like this.

  Raven carefully opened the square envelope and slid an expertly folded piece of card stock from the interior. It fanned out into a lacy, three-paneled die-cut work of art. Raven cleared her throat and read, “Krewe Prometheus commands your presence at a masquerade ball at the Emperor’s Palace on Saturday, February tenth.”

  Raven’s eyebrows shot up and her chin dropped as she looked back at Avery. Being invited to a krewe ball was a huge deal. None of them had ever scored an invitation before.

  Avery cracked a slow, lopsided grin. “Looks like you’re going to the ball, Cinderella!”

  Raven raced into Blakemore’s and headed straight toward Gabriel’s office. The entire ride over she could think of only two things: telling him she loved him again and asking him about Krewe Prometheus. But when she rounded the corner and barged through the heavy wooden door, Gabriel wasn’t there. Someone else was, leaning up against the antique desk. A blond man, tall and narrow, with eyes a blue that reminded her of deep water. He flashed a smile that could send any red-blooded woman to her knees. Under the shiny, refined exterior, the smoky scent of dragon seeped from the man and coated the back of Raven’s throat. The smell was similar to Gabriel’s scent but different. Almost cloying.

  She covered her nose with the back of her hand. “Have you seen Gabriel?”

  “You must be Ravenna,” he said.

  She knew one thing for sure: he wasn’t from New Orleans. His accent was Midwestern with a hint of that same exotic qualit
y Gabriel’s had.

  “How do you know who I am?”

  “Aside from the fact that you are covering your nose because as a mated female, my scent is repulsive to you, my brother cannot stop talking about you. I could probably mold you from clay after our conversation this morning.”

  “You’re Gabriel’s brother?” Only then did she notice the ring on his finger, a sapphire roughly the size of Louisiana. His was square-cut and sunk into a thick platinum band that made the stone unapologetically masculine.

  He bowed formally and extended his hand. “Tobias. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  She raised her hand to shake his but was met with a growl that rattled her bones. Before she came close to touching Tobias, she was swept off her feet and placed behind Gabriel, who crouched and bared his teeth. She’d never seen him like this. Even in the form of a dragon, he hadn’t looked this deadly.

  “You invited me here, Gabriel. Remember?” Tobias raised his long, tapered fingers defensively. A vigorous laugh rumbled from his chest. “I was simply introducing myself in the human fashion. I will not touch her without your permission.”

  Raven stroked her hand over Gabriel’s back. “It’s good to see you,” she whispered. It was more than good. She felt a physical lightness in his presence, and for a split second, they were the only two people in the world. Gabriel turned to her, and she smiled from the deepest part of herself. When his face softened, she kissed him squarely on the lips.

  Tobias cleared his throat. “Now that we’ve cleared that up, should we talk about why I’m here? I didn’t leave my patients in Chicago to watch you two smooch. What’s the emergency?”

  Gabriel motioned for his brother to take a seat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk. “Tobias is a pediatric heart surgeon at Northwestern in Chicago. We lost touch in the beginning. All of us did, before the age of cell phones. But Tobias and I reunited a few decades ago.”

  “Reunited is a stretch. We bumped into each other at a Sotheby’s auction when we were both bidding on the same Kerry James Marshall painting.”